the only requirement is to be one of the first 7000 to send back your application. The registration form is generally available beg. of January in the VELO magazine or on the internet. Anyway check on their site. The race is open to everybody. And be prepared for a tough day as it seems the stage will be long 230km and I know pretty well the Pas de Peyrol: it is going to surprise a lot of people (with a 18% part...).

I'll be doing IM Austria also on July 4th and am now wondering, what is l'étape du Tour. It sounds pretty obvious by it's name but where can I find more info on it ?

Thank's

Richard

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Richard

"You're only young once, but you can be immature forever" - Larry Andersen

It is a link of the tourdefrance page.

Its about 7k people riding 230 km, the toughest stage of next years race three days before the pro's do it.

It will be brutal, no doubt about it.

Through the massif central from Limoges to St Flour I think, although I cant remember exactly, its stage 10-11 I think?

See you there?

Andrew

Sounds interesting, I'll have to see what my girlfriend thinks of one more race during our vacation... and think about my recuperation from IM. 1 week after is quite a short recovery time. Too bad it's not a classic like Alp d'Huez or Mont Ventoux.

we'll see.

Thank's for the info and the idea!

Richard

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Richard

"You're only young once, but you can be immature forever" - Larry Andersen

hey Andrew,

I answered back to you already.

requirements: as richard said...just enter before the 7000th or be that one
cat: no cat required, no license required (but you may be asked to provide a "certificat medical d'aptitude a la pratique cyclist"...basically something that says you can ride bikes -without the little training wheels is a plus :-)) -)

brutal: yes! I know this area...this is a tough one...

people hammering: at the start, many will. some will be smart and will keep it for later. generally in these rides, there is a group of 50 to 100 or cat 1 and elites that go hard to break away from the main bunch and have their own race. then there are some slower bunches with some hot headed dudes behind that will hammer until the second pass and then blow up to pieces...

many will be smart and will go their own pace...some are doing it just for fun and will go slow...beware in the downhills is my advice...some will risk their lives (and yours with it!)

sense that no, it is not.

However, given that it is the longest stage in the tour at 237km and that, to quote Velonews.........

"That will be stage 10, the longest of the race at 237 kilometers, between Limoges and St. Flour. On mostly narrow back roads, probably in heat-wave conditions, this marathon stage crosses nine difficult climbs in the Auvergne region, including the spectacular Puy Mary (5.5km at 8 percent) and Plomb du Cantal (8.2km at 6 percent) - which summits just 30km from the finish."

I think this stage has ASS Kicking and "Classic" written all over it but again we shall only be able to tell after every rider other than contenders have been shelled across it...........

That day could seperate the men from the boys I think............